ASHEVILLE – There are some additions to the UNC Asheville basketball family, but the newest arrival won’t be able to contribute on the court immediately.

Maybe in about 18 years.

As he heads into his second season as coach of the Bulldogs, Nick McDevitt is going into his second week as a father.

McDevitt and his wife Lauren recently welcomed their first child, a son they named Cooper Lee.

“It was already a busy summer with four camps and the players in for workouts and summer school,” said McDevitt, who has been with the program the past 18 seasons as a player, assistant and now the man in charge.

“But now it’s really busy with our baby.”

The proud papa said mother and son are doing well, and McDevitt is looking forward to getting started on another season.

The Bulldogs finished 17-15 last year, including a 10-6 mark in the Big South Conference.

Freshman guard Andrew Rowsey had a strong first season, averaging 20.3 points per game (with 106 3-pointers) and going over the 30-point mark five times in his last 15 games.

“We’ve put in about four workouts a week for about a month, and I think everyone’s gotten better. It’s been a great summer,” senior guard Corey Littlejohn said.

Six players were in the first session of summer school, and more will come in for the second session.

“We’re finishing up our fourth camp of the summer, so in addition to our player workouts, it’s been really busy,” McDevitt said.

“Marcus is getting close to being back to 100 percent. He has rebounded well from his surgery. Will is ahead of schedule of where he should be, so at this point we believe both of them will be ready and recover fully.

“They would have been a huge part of our team last year and will certainly be a big part this coming season. Both are pivotal players for us.”

“We have a good core of players coming back, and when you add Marcus and Will to that group, that just makes us deeper and better,” senior center Jaleel Roberts said.

“They are great defensive players, and that’s where we struggled at times last season, so we will definitely be better on that end of the floor.”

The Bulldogs should be deep and talented enough to make another run at a BSC title, but McDevitt stressed the need for good leadership. “Losing a pair of fifth-year seniors is tough, and nine of our 13 scholarship players will be freshmen or sophomores,” McDevitt said. “Our senior class is going to have to lead us.”

“This is my last year, so I feel like I have to become more of a leader,” Littlejohn said. “We need to get everyone together so we can have a great season.”